There is within us a spirit of pettiness that digs into, chips away at, breaks down, crumbles and undermines the rock of grandeur. Such is the incessant, frantic, underground work of pettiness. The Polish writer Bruno Schulz said that in 1935. So what kind of work is the spirit of pettiness busy at now? For although it strikes pettily, that spirit strikes everywhere and at all times. For example, hic et nunc, the latest thing is to resort to what’s known as the 'precautionary principle,' in other words, the principle of generalized administrative fear, intended above all to protect authorities from any and all claims, accusations of responsibility, lawsuits, or retribution, be it judicial or otherwise – for the sake of the general public, supposedly. This official precautionary principle, which in France, was granted constitutional status in 1995, is one of the visible, official weapons of the spirit of pettiness.

A great number of recent expressions of the spirit of pettiness have resulted in our era’s strange sort of barbarity: one that doesn’t draw blood, but that, in a way, keeps it from circulating.

Both an essay and a satire, this text is a reflection on the mores of our society and our times. Sharp, incisive and droll, Philippe Caubet takes as his theme the spirit of pettiness -- which isn’t limited to our times, but instead has crossed all eras – in order to expose and analyze our foibles. A social critique, the tone makes this an invigorating read, rather than a depressing one. This text stands against everything divisive, everything that divides us. A much-needed book in this era of recession and crisis.